Final Nail in the Vertigo Coffin?

With Hellblazer being canceled with issue 300 it was clear that the once proud Vertigo imprint was in its death throes. The once proud jewel in the crown of DC Comics no longer has a role in the New 52. A victim of declining readership across the board, the tiny imprint with marginal numbers no longer had the powerhouse sales of the main DCU to support it. Really, it was just a matter of time.

Now it looks like that time has come.

DC/Vertigo announced that Karen Berger, Executive Editor & Senior Vice President of Vertigo, is stepping down from her post after nearly 20 years. She will remain on through March 2013 where she will be assisting in the transition to a new leadership team.

Karen is responsible for shepherding critically-acclaimed titles including Sandman, Hellblazer, V For Vendetta. Fables, Preacher, 100 Bullets, Y – The Last Man and American Vampire.

“I’ve been incredibly proud to have provided a home where writers and artists could create progressive and provocative stories that broadened the scope of comics, attracting a new and diverse readership to graphic storytelling,” said Berger. “I’d like to thank all the many immensely talented creators who have helped make Vertigo into a daring and distinctive imprint and I’m grateful to everyone at DC Entertainment and the retail community for their support and commitment to Vertigo all these years. It’s been quite an honor.”

DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson stated, “We are extremely grateful for Karen’s commitment and dedication to Vertigo, its books and its incredibly talented team of staff and creators. In Vertigo she leaves a legacy to which we remain committed and on which we intend to build for the future. She will always be a deeply valued and respected member of the DC family.”

Karen Berger made Vertigo into an important imprint which provided a space for titles outside the realm of capes and tights. The absence of Berger all but assures Vertigo’s demise.